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RRS Challenger CH135
Cruise summary report
Cruise Info. | |
Ship name (ship code) | RRS Challenger (74CH) |
Cruise identifier | CH135 |
Cruise period | 1997-10-15 — 1997-10-30 |
Status | Completed |
Port of departure | Southampton, United Kingdom |
Port of return | Southampton, United Kingdom |
Purpose | Research |
Objectives | Fourth in series of cruises funded by European Commission Marine Science and Technology III (MAST III) programme as part of the Bengal project (MAS3 CT 950018). The cruise programme was designed to look at a single, abyssal locality on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. It is hoped to study changes in sediment geochemistry and biology within a year (seasonal) and between years (inter-annual). Challenger 135 was organised at extremely short notice (12 days) following a strike by the crew of the French Research Vessel, Atalante. A reduced programme of work was undertaken (Challenger cruise 15 days, planned Atalante cruise 35 days). |
Chief scientist | David S M Billett (Southampton Oceanography Centre) |
Project | BENGAL/MAST III |
Coordinating body | SOC |
Cruise report | (1.31 MB) |
Ocean/sea areas | |
General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
Specific | Porcupine Abyssal Plain |
Track charts | (0.03 MB) |
Measurements | |
Physical oceanography | |
Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
CTD stations | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
Transparency (eg transmissometer) | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
Chemical oceanography | |
Phosphate | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
Nitrate | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
Silicate | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
Contamination | |
Suspended matter | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
Biology and fisheries | |
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of deployments = 14 Description: Multiple corer, various sediment chemistry and biology measures |
Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON) | Quantity: number of deployments = 14 Description: Multiple corer, various sediment chemistry and biology measures |
Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) | Quantity: number of deployments = 14 Description: Multiple corer, various sediment chemistry and biology measures |
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organisms | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: CTD and water bottles, transmissometer fluorometer - three casts to near seabed (4850m) and one cast to 210m. |
Benthic bacteria/micro-organisms | Quantity: number of deployments = 14 Description: Multiple corer, various sediment chemistry and biology measures |
Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of deployments = 14 Description: Multiple corer, various sediment chemistry and biology measures |
Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of hauls = 2 Description: Semi-balloon otter trawl (OTSB) |
Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of deployments = 8 Description: Box corer - none successful; no samples |
Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 2 Description: Semi-balloon otter trawl (OTSB) |
Geology and geophysics | |
Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of deployments = 14 Description: Multiple corer, various sediment chemistry and biology measures |
Moorings, landers, buoys | |
Physical oceanography | |
Subsurface temperature measurements | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 31' 59" W — Module Autonome Pluridisciplinaire (MAP) laid on 30 July 1996 (Discovery 222, Leg 1) (Alipor Cruise) recovered on 22 October 1997` |
Transparency (eg transmissometer) | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 31' 59" W — Module Autonome Pluridisciplinaire (MAP) laid on 30 July 1996 (Discovery 222, Leg 1) (Alipor Cruise) recovered on 22 October 1997` |
Current meters | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 31' 59" W — Module Autonome Pluridisciplinaire (MAP) laid on 30 July 1996 (Discovery 222, Leg 1) (Alipor Cruise) recovered on 22 October 1997` |
Biology and fisheries | |
Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) | 48° 54' 59" N 16° 24' 59" W — Benthic experiment - incubation laid on 18 July 1997 (Discovery cruise 229) recovered 18 October 1997 |
Sediment traps | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 26' 59" W — Sediment trap c. 5m above seabed laid on 26 July 1997 (Discovery cruise 229) recovered on 18 October 1997 |
Sediment traps | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 31' 59" W — Module Autonome Pluridisciplinaire (MAP) laid on 30 July 1996 (Discovery 222, Leg 1) (Alipor Cruise) recovered on 22 October 1997` |
Benthic bacteria/micro-organisms | 48° 54' 59" N 16° 24' 59" W — Benthic experiment - incubation laid on 18 July 1997 (Discovery cruise 229) recovered 18 October 1997 |
Zoobenthos | 48° 54' 59" N 16° 27' 59" W — Module Autonome De Colonisation (MAC) laid on 5 July 1997 (Discovery cruise 299) recovered on 18 October 1997 |
Zoobenthos | 48° 54' 59" N 16° 24' 59" W — Benthic experiment - incubation laid on 18 July 1997 (Discovery cruise 229) recovered 18 October 1997 |
Zoobenthos | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 31' 59" W — Module Autonome Pluridisciplinaire (MAP) laid on 30 July 1996 (Discovery 222, Leg 1) (Alipor Cruise) recovered on 22 October 1997` |
Geology and geophysics | |
Bottom photography | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 31' 59" W — Module Autonome Pluridisciplinaire (MAP) laid on 30 July 1996 (Discovery 222, Leg 1) (Alipor Cruise) recovered on 22 October 1997` |
Data held at BODC | |
Discrete samples | |
4 CTD frame plus rosette sampler | Transmittance and attenuance of the water column Salinity of the water column Temperature of the water column Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column Density of the water column Raw fluorometer output |